


The Dance

by iloveromance



Category: Breaking Bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:01:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24157033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveromance/pseuds/iloveromance
Summary: When Flynn is unexpectedly invited to a school dance by a girl in his class, he is over the moon with happiness. But unexpected news, insecurities and the pain of recent events threaten to put a damper on the much-anticipated evening
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

Returning the phone to its' base, Flynn White could hardly believe it. He shut his eyes and then opened them again, just to make certain that he wasn't dreaming. But he found that he was still there in his room, which is where he'd been since he'd gotten the phone call from Lindsay. And still, it didn't seem real.

A girl... a real, honest to goodness girl had a crush on him! Never in his existence did he think that anyone would ever like him for more than a friend and he wasn't sure how to feel about it. He couldn't ignore the tiny doubt inside of him, wondering if her sincerity was real or imagined, or if this was a repeat of the past, but he hoped and prayed that it was the former. Lindsay seemed like a nice girl and he really, really liked her but he knew all too well from experience that getting his hopes up too high always led to disappointment.

He was used to kids making fun of him. It was inevitable for people like himself with disabilities to be the constant subject of mockery. It was just a fact of life. And once kids noticed that he wasn't like everyone else, which took all of about thirty seconds, usually happening the moment he grabbed his braces that he used in order to walk…Well, things became ugly really fast.

Some people were even stupid enough to mock him in front of his parents. And they should have known better than to try anything of the sort in front of his father. The last time someone tried to ridicule him in front of Walter White was definitely the last time. Flynn was surprised that the kids could even walk out of the store in one piece, let alone crawl.

The thought made him smile but only for a moment. He knew without a doubt that his father would no longer protect him, and frankly he didn't want or need protecting, nor did he want anything more to do with the man for whom he'd been named. Never again would he be known as Walter Jr. As soon as he turned eighteen, he was going to change his name legally and if his parents objected, then that was just too damn bad.

He may have still been in high school but he was almost a man. And for what it was worth, Walter White Jr. was history. It was time for Flynn to form his own identity. In the past he needed his father more than air and Walter White Sr. would have done anything for him. But that was before…

Although he was grateful to his parents for protecting him, he refused to be treated like a child. Just because he had a disability didn't mean that he was any less of a person. No one seemed to understand that except for Lindsay. At the thought of her, his anger toward his pathetic excuse for a father was replaced by utter disbelief. Lindsay, the prettiest girl he'd ever seen, had asked him to the dance! A real date! Not one of those imagined ones; the kind that he'd had far too many of.

He'd lost count of many times he'd gotten phone calls from one of the popular girls who caught him at his most vulnerable. It was then that he did things that he wouldn't ordinarily do; such as obediently wait in the parking lot after school for a meeting with a cheerleader who had told him how sweet and handsome he was. He'd done this very thing, waiting for hours (and risking punishment from his parents for not being there when his mom went to pick him up from school) for Missy Sherwood to meet him in the parking lot. He'd barely slept the night before, planning what he was going to say, and what he would wear in the hopes of impressing her. It seemed too good to be true. And sadly, it was.

When night fell, he was still there waiting in the parking lot, knowing full well that his parents would be furious at him for staying out so late without their permission. But he couldn't tell them where he was. Finally he managed to find a ride home by calling his Uncle Hank and swearing him to secrecy. If he hadn't insisted that Uncle Hank not mention his humiliation to his parents or to his Aunt Marie, he was certain that Missy Sherwood wouldn't have been able to fulfill her duties as head cheerleader for reasons both physical and psychological.

Even now he shuddered, thinking of the things that his parents and Uncle Hank could have done to that girl. But far worse was the reality that followed; the snickering and scorn of his peers at school the next day… and for days after that… when they learned of what he had done. Apparently plenty of people had seen him waiting in the parking lot for a visitor who would never come. And it made him wish things like Smartphones, and webcams had never been invented.

He'd heard his mom and Aunt Marie complain about how tough things were when they were in high school, but he didn't see how. Back then hardly anyone knew what the Internet was. The idea of a world without access to the Internet was unfathomable to him. How in the world did people function? But now, a world without the Internet seemed awfully inviting. It made it that much harder for people to find out what others were up to, and a lot easier to hurt them.

But he was certain that he didn't have to worry about any of that with Lindsay. She liked him for him and not because he was an easy target. Lindsay actually liked him! With a huge smile on his face, he grabbed his crutches and moved as fast as he could down the hallway en route to the living room. He could hardly wait to tell his mom his wonderful news.


	2. Chapter 2

The moment he entered the living room he saw his mother's blonde hair. Her back was toward him and he increased his pace.

"Mom, you'll never guess..."

She turned around, revealing the phone in her hand. "Just a minute. I'm on hold with your Aunt Marie."

Disappointed, he sighed. "Oh… I'm sorry."

"It's all right." She replied. "Would you mind checking on your sister for me?"

"Sure, Mom."

With a sense of purpose he headed for Holly's room, anxious to tell anyone, even his baby sister about the incredible thing that had just happened to him.

When he reached the nursery he could see her playing with the mobile that hung above her crib. How anyone could find plastic versions of Snoopy and Woodstock hanging from strings fascinating was beyond him. But like Holly, he was a baby once and maybe he had been fascinated by the same thing.

She was barely aware of his presence until he walked up and leaned into her crib."Hey Holly. I know you're not going to understand a word of what I'm saying but try, okay? Trust me if you don't understand now, you will when you're older and I hope that you'll tell me about it when it does. Wanna know what it is?"

To his delight, Holly smiled and giggled, kicking her pajama footed feet. Dare he hope that she understood how happy he was? Once again, Flynn found that he couldn't stop smiling. "Okay, I'll tell ya. I have a date! Can you believe it? Oh… You probably don't know what a date is, do you? Of course you don't. It means that I get to go to a dance with Lindsay! You've never met her but she's really cool! She's in my math class and she actually likes me! She called me and asked me to go with her!"

When Holly began to fuss, he felt strangely disappointed that she wasn't sharing in his joy. And then he was brought back to reality by the sight of the bottle lying next to her in the crib. He picked it up and put the nipple into her mouth. "Here you go, Holly."

Immediately she began to drink and he smiled watching her softly hold the bottle all by herself. He couldn't tell if his baby sister was happy for him or not, but he liked to think that she was. And so he walked out of the room, hopeful that his mom was off the phone with Aunt Marie. He knew that once he got her to understand how much this meant to him, that she would be happy for him.


	3. Chapter 3

"Mom!" Flynn yelled enthusiastically when he entered the living room. "You'll never guess what happened to me today!"

"What's that, honey?" She asked. But she didn't sound the least bit excited to hear what he had to say. She was probably still upset about everything that had happened involving his dad. And he couldn't blame her, he supposed. But once she heard what had happened to him, she was bound to forget all of that.

"You know that girl Lindsay who called? Well, there's a dance at school on Friday and she asked me to go with her! I have a date, Mom! Can I go, please? I promise I'll be careful! I've never been to a dance before and I've never been on a date! Please, Mom! I'll do anything you want, even do the dishes for a month if you'll just let me go!"

To his dismay, his mom grabbed a pillow and held it in her hands. And he knew instantly what it meant. It was time for a family meeting and he knew from experience that they only had family meeting when there was bad news. The last one was led by his father, informing them that he had cancer and that he was refusing to partake in chemotherapy. Flynn didn't want to hear any more bad news right now, and he wanted to protest, choosing instead to talk about his great news. But he was in too good of a mood to argue with his mother.

"Flynn, honey… there's… something I need to tell you." She said.

"Mom, did you hear me? I have a date!" he said excitedly, forgetting all about the prospect of learning bad news.

"I know that, honey but please, hear me out!" She said. "I don't know how to begin."

The bad news was coming, he knew it. But he wasn't about to let it ruin his good mood, no matter what it was. Most likely it was something about his father and he sure as heck didn't care about him. Not anymore, anyway.

"What is it, Mom?"

"Flynn, your father was back in town."

"Dad? Um, you mean Walter?" He cringed at the thought of addressing that monster as "Dad" but he supposed that old habits die hard.

"Mom, did you call the police? I hope he gets what he deserves and that he never hurts you or me or Aunt Marie ever again! Did you call the police because if you don't, I will!" He moved slowly but steadfast toward the phone and picked it up, his fingers poised over the keypad.

"Flynn, listen to me, please!" his mom was saying as the tears streamed down her cheeks. "God, I hate him for making me do this!"

"Do what, Mom? Just forget about him! I'm trying to ask you something important! I need to know if I can go to the dance with Lindsay!"

"Flynn, your father is dead!"


	4. Chapter 4

Almost instantly his mom's hand flew to her trembling mouth and he froze in place. For this was the last thing he ever expected to hear. The room was eerily silent as they stared at one another and after what seemed like an eternity, the silence was broken.

"Flynn, did you hear what I said?"

"Can I go to the dance?" was his only reply.

Her face turned ashen and she stared at him in disbelief. "Flynn.."

"I heard you! He's dead!" he yelled. Angrily he picked up the pillow and hurled it across the room.

He saw his mother swallow hard. "And?"

"What do you want me to say? That I'm sad, that he's gone? That I miss him? That he was my hero? Well it's not true! He was a monster! He killed Uncle Hank and took Holly from us! And if you want to cry and mope about him being gone go head, but I can't! I have to go!"

"Flynn, wait! Talk to me, please! Look, I know your father has done some terrible things, but you must be feeling something right now; sad, confused, mad-."

"Terrible? Terrible?" He yelled. "Terrible doesn't even begin to describe him! If he hadn't been such a jackass, Uncle Hank would be here now and not in the ground in a cemetery while Aunt Marie cries all the time!"

"Flynn, let me help you! I know this is hard and I know you're sad but-."

"Why should I be sad? The man who killed my Uncle Hank is dead and he can't take Holly from us anymore! And you can't tell me what to feel!"

"I'm your mother and I know what's best for you!"

"How can you know what's best for me? Do you expect me to just forget what that monster did? Well you can forget about it because it's never going to happen!"

"Flynn-."

She was sobbing now and he knew that he should comfort her but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had to leave; had to be alone.

"Look, go ahead and cry for him all you want. I don't care! I'm going to that dance and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

As he struggled with his crutches to walk out of the door, he could hear his mom crying even harder behind him. And when he reached his room, he made certain to slam the door, rattling the walls in the process.

No one understood what he was going thorough and he had no one to be happy for him. Uncle Hank would be happy for him but the man he had looked up to was gone now, killed by the hands of a monster, and ironically known as his father.

He wouldn't trade his mother for anything in the world, but why couldn't Uncle Hank have been his dad? He'd give anything for that to be true. And if it was, he could truly grieve for the father he had lost so suddenly. But now he just didn't give a damn.


	5. Chapter 5

Flynn was still seething with anger as he climbed into his car and slammed the door. He tried not to think about anything but the evening ahead, but it was hard. Even as he started the engine he could see his father's face, hear his father's voice. A memory; one of the few he had of Walter White that was actually pleasant.

If it hadn't been for Walt teaching him how to drive, Flynn wouldn't be backing out of the driveway now, on his way to take the prettiest girl in school to the dance. If only Uncle Hank could see him now. He didn't have to wonder if Uncle Hank would be proud of him. He knew. He wondered if Uncle Hank would like Lindsay.

He could just imagine his uncle playfully punching him in the arm, giving him guff about having a girlfriend.

"Right, Uncle Hank. She's not my girlfriend. She's just a friend." Flynn would reply.

To which Uncle Hank would laugh. "Whatever you say, pal. Just watch yourself, okay? You're a good kid. You're a smart kid. But even good kids and smart kids make bad decisions. Just… don't do anything you'll regret."

"Uncle Hank…"

"Just promise me you'll think about it before you make any rash decisions. I'm sure she'll be all dressed up, looking so pretty that you can't even believe it. God knows the first time I saw Marie dressed up I almost couldn't help myself. But I'm glad I did."

Flynn laughed. "I know, Uncle Hank. You don't have to tell me any of this."

"You're right. I don't but I am. Now like I said she will be looking so pretty that you can hardly believe it, and you may even want to kiss her. That's fine… and I encourage that, but if you do kiss her, just make sure things don't go too far if you know what I mean."

"Uncle Hank…"

"Promise me, okay?"

"All right fine. I promise. But trust me, you don't have to worry. This is Flynn you're talking to."

"Good. Now give me a hug, okay?"

Flynn reached for his broad-shouldered uncle, but like magic the man vanished into thin air. And when Flynn opened his eyes, he realized that he'd been deep in thought. His uncle Hank was gone and Flynn was sitting in the driveway, the car running and-

Damn, he was going to be late now! His heart pounding he resisted the urge to zoom backwards out of the driveway, the way his father-Walter-had done so many times. The force of the surge almost always catapulted them foreword, increasing Flynn's fears that he'd hit his head on the windshield. Despite what his parents said, he was already crippled enough. He didn't need brain damage on top of it.

Oh, Uncle Hank would be livid if he caught Flynn even thinking of himself as crippled, but there was no escaping the truth.

In the end, Flynn decided to drive the right way. As slowly and carefully as possible, he backed out of the driveway and started up the street. And as he drove he was certain that this was going to be a night that he'd never forget. And that the news he'd received just moments before would be a distant memory.


	6. Chapter 6

But on the way to pick up Lindsay, he did manage to forget.

He forgot all about the fact that his mother didn't care one bit for him. Because if she had, she would have been happy for him, asking him all sorts of questions about Lindsay, and perhaps giving him a hard time just like his Uncle Hank would have. He forgot all about his dad killing Uncle Hank, and that he'd never see his monster of a father ever again. All he could think about when he slowed his car to a stop in front of the brick rambler with the station wagon and the SUV in the driveway was that he couldn't wait to see Lindsay.

She was hardly his girlfriend, but the idea that someone like her, or anyone for that matter, had a crush on him made him feel like he could fly. He turned off the engine and eagerly pushed the car door open, unable to slow his steadily beating heart. God, why was he so nervous?

Balancing his crutches, he pushed himself to a standing position and closed the door. As he walked slowly toward the front door, he wondered if he should have brought her a corsage or a bouquet of flowers. This wasn't the senior prom; just a normal high school dance. But isn't that what guys in the movies always did, bring their dates flowers?

Damn… why did Uncle Hank have to be dead? Why couldn't-

The door opened, startling him when he saw the annoyed looking man with greying temples and stubble on his face standing before him. "You've been standing here for over five minutes. If you're trying to sell something we're not interest-."  
Lindsay appeared before him, pushing her way past the man. "Dad, leave him alone. He's not a door to door salesman! This is Flynn, the guy who's taking me to the dance."

Flynn was all-too aware of Lindsay's dad's eyes moving up and down his body. It was a common scenario and Flynn knew exactly what the man was thinking. The guy was probably wondering what his daughter could possibly see in a crippled kid, and even more so, how a crippled kid could possibly score a date. Was it sympathy?

Lindsay didn't give her dad a chance to say anything. She kissed her dad's cheek and smiled at Flynn. "Dad, don't worry. I'll be fine. Flynn's in my math class and we've been friends for a while now." And then she giggled. "Oh, Dad this is Flynn White. Flynn, this is my dad."

The man's eyebrows rose. "White? You wouldn't be the son of Walter White, would you?"  
Flynn's eyes met Lindsay's and he panicked. His dad's death and all the bad things that he'd done… making meth with that jerk Jessie Pinkman (who didn't seem to be that much older than Flynn), kidnapping an innocent baby, his own daughter, and kissing his Uncle Hank… Flynn was sure that at least one of his father's evil acts had been plastered on the local news and in the newspapers for everyone to see. But he refused to take the blame for that monster's actions.

He was no longer Walt Jr. He was Flynn White and he was his own person. And so his only reply was a nod and an extension of his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you sir. Thank you for allowing Lindsay to accompany me to the dance."

It was a lame response, to be sure, worthy of a fifties television show, but it was the best he could do. And surprisingly it seemed to diffuse the potential bomb that was about to go off. The man extended his hand. "Likewise, um… Flynn was it?"

"Dad, we've got to go." Lindsay interrupted. "I'll be back later and I promise I won't be late. Goodbye Dad."

To Flynn's surprise, she grabbed his hand and led him away from the house. When they reached Flynn's car, she let out a breath and smiled. "Look, I'm sorry about that. My dad can be such a pain but he's okay. He's just overprotective. My mom is way cooler, but -." She stopped talking and her eyebrows rose. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Flynn blinked and looked away, embarrassed. "Oh, I just-."

She smoothed her pink sweater and skirt that was adorned with pink and blue flowers. "I hope I look all right. I wasn't sure what to wear. I've never been to a dance before."

"Are you kidding?" He wanted to say. "You look amazing!" But even that thought was a complete understatement. She was even prettier than he'd ever imagined.

"Y-you look…"

She blushed and smiled. "I know it's probably lame to wear a dress, but it's a dance, right?"

He looked at his black jeans and charcoal grey long sleeve dress shirt, wishing had worn a tie. Even if the only ones he had belonged to his dad, he could have handled it for one night. Damn… Uncle Hank would have-

He stilled when he felt Lindsay gently take his hand. "Hey… are you all right?"

He didn't want to tell her that he was ashamed of the way he looked, but when her eyes moved up and down his body, he knew… he knew that she knew….

"Look, Flynn if you're worried about what you're wearing, don't, okay? You look really nice. Well, more like handsome."

His cheeks began to flush. No girl except his mom and Aunt Marie (and they were women, not girls) had ever called him handsome before. Why hadn't he told Lindsay that she was pretty? He was certain that his Uncle Hank was looking down on him from Heaven, shaking his head in disappointment. He just hoped that the rest of the night went as well as he'd hoped.

"Say something, Junior!"His dad's voice rang in his ears.

"Um… Thanks." He stammered.

There was an awkward silence before mercifully she spoke again. "Well, shall we go?"

"Um... Yeah, that's a good idea."

She moved toward his car and he hurried as fast as he could on his crutches, moving in front of her. His hand trembled as he fumbled with the door handle, finally managing to pop it open. She smiled at him, obviously impressed with his manners. His Uncle Hank may have been tough but Flynn had watched him enough with his

Aunt Marie to know that Uncle Hank had much better manners than his father.

"Thank you." Lindsay said, sliding onto the seat. Making sure that she was safely inside, Flynn closed the door but stared in amazement when she leaned across the cheap leather seat to unlock his door for him.

This was his first date ever, and Lindsay was doing things that he should have been doing. He was, after all, a man now, as his Uncle Hank would say.

He climbed into the driver's seat and inserted the key into the ignition, smiling when he noticed that she already had her seatbelt on. He followed suit, his heart warming when she noticed he was having trouble inserting the buckle and her hand brushed against his as the belt clicked into place.

He took a deep breath and started the engine. He was so nervous that he didn't talk much, but Lindsay kept the conversation going by talking about school, music, sports (who knew a girl liked football?), and anything else she could think of.

Before long he was carefully pulling into a parking space in front of the school. When he climbed out of the car, his unease returned. Lindsay had done an amazing job of keeping his mind off of his anxieties, like facing the kids at school, but now that he was staring at the building, his courage was slowly fading to non-existent. He could only imagine the hell that awaited him inside.

It took him longer than normal to adjust his braces and by this point most people would have either taken off without him or rolled their eyes, making him feel stupid and guilty.

But not Lindsay.

She stood there, waiting patiently, pressing the tiny screen on her phone. His first thought was that she was texting her friends, telling them how lame he was and that she wished she hadn't come. But he shoved the thought from his mind. She liked him didn't she? He highly doubted that she would have said the words, much less been ready to go when he arrived for their date if she wasn't at least a little sincere. He was certain that she wasn't the type to lie about her feelings. She wasn't like Missy Sherwood.

Once again he was so deep in thought that he barely heard her calling his name. "Flynn… Flynn! Are you coming?"

Embarrassed he, was grateful for her cheerful laugh that told him she wasn't angry, but more so for the darkness that hid the flush of his cheeks. "Oh… yeah. I'm sorry. I was just thinking."

She moved closer, her hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay? We don't have to do this."

"No." he said firmly. "I'm fine. Come on, let's go."


	7. Chapter 7

He couldn't help it. He felt like a celebrity when he walked into the gymnasium using his crutches, Lindsay holding onto his arm. He could feel every eye on him, and heard some snickers, but he didn't dare make eye contact. He stared directly in front of him, in awe of how an ordinary high school gymnasium could turn into a magical place, seemingly overnight. He knew that in reality it was the work of the decorating committee, but the silver and blue cardboard stars hanging from the ceiling and the turning disco ball that threw tiny patterns of light onto the walls, accompanied by the slow pop tune by Pearl Jam gave the place a magical feeling. Or perhaps it was Lindsay.

"How many?"

He quickly reached into his pocket, prepared to open his wallet, but Lindsay gently pushed his hand way. "No Flynn. I'm the one who asked you to the dance. It's my treat."

He blinked in surprise. Was this girl for real? "But-."

"Here." She thrust two ten dollar bills in front of Flynn's face and smiled as the man across from them handed her two green tickets. "All right, let's go."

They made their way through the sea of kids, (most of whom were dressed raggedly, but some had dressed in their Sunday best, and the rest were dressed in-between) until they reached the middle of the gymnasium.

His gaze suddenly locked with Missy Sherwood, her arm possessively around Matt Love, the big-headed ego-maniac cornerback for the Varsity football team, and he cringed. He knew that this night was bound to end badly. Any moment, the two were bound to approach them bringing along sarcastic and humiliating comments that would surely make Lindsay run far away. But to his amazement, they stared at him only for a few seconds, not even making a move to come near.

With her arm firmly around Matt's waist, Missy turned on her high heels and walked away. Flynn was still staring at her in disbelief when he felt warmth on his back and he turned to find Lindsay smiling at him. "Do you want to dance, Flynn? I mean, this is a dance, and -."

"Oh... Yeah. I'm sorry. I..."

They walked toward an open space near the back of the gym, and she moved closer and put her hand around his waist, therefore increasing his already steady heartbeat. But when their eyes met, neither of them spoke. Instead they looked at one another, both of them understanding.

"Your crutches." She said softly.

"It's okay Lindsay. Maybe this was a bad idea. I mean I appreciate you asking me and all, but-." Before he realized what was happening, she was taking his crutches from him laying them gently across a row of chairs by the wall. "Just hold onto me, okay?"

His heart turned in circles. "Gladly."

She smiled and took his hand guiding his free hand to her waist. And then to his delight, she was resting her head against his chest as they slowly began to move back and forth to the music. He couldn't move much, not like the other boys who were turning their dates around and around, but it was enough. And Lindsay didn't seem to mind at all. "I love this song…" She said against his chest. "I mean, I know it's not really cool for girls to like music by Soundgarden. At least that's what my dad says, but-."

"That's stupid."

She looked up sharply, and he was horrified that he'd spoken out loud. "I don't mean what you said was stupid, but… I think it's cool that you like them. They're awesome. Um… most girls only like girl bands, you know? And that's fine but it's nice to find someone who likes the same kind of music that I do. I mean, it shouldn't matter who the artist is, as long as you like the music, right?"

"I agree."

A comfortable silence fell between them and he could hear her humming along to "Black Hole Sun" and at that moment, he'd never been happier.


	8. Chapter 8

If only his dad could see him now. His dad always said….

He drew back, repulsed by the sudden memory. He had no right thinking about that monster as a good person. Even if it was a long time ago, Walter White-

"Flynn?"

Lindsay's hand on his arm shattered the memory immediately and he looked into her eyes. "Yeah?"

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine." He lied, quickly looking away. But her hand went to his chin, turning him toward her.

"You don't look fine."

"I was just thinking about my… um… Walter."

"Who's Walter?"

"My dad."

"Oh…"

He stared at her for a moment, wondering yet again how someone so pretty, a girl with chestnut hair, hazel eyes and pink lips (that must be incredibly soft), could possibly be interested in him.

"Flynn?"

Brought out of his trance, he had a revelation. He finally had someone he could talk to. Someone who he was sure wouldn't laugh at him or judge him. Someone with whom he could talk about his dad, his Uncle Hank…

She was holding his hand now, a concerned look on her face. "Look, I know this is our first date and all, and we don't know each other that well, but if there's anything that you want to talk about-."

He took a deep breath; ready to spill out his most carefully guarded secrets. "Lindsay, before I came to pick you up, I…"

"Yes?"

"I found out something from my mom and Aunt Marie."

"What?"

"My dad is dead."

She gasped in shock, one hand flying to her mouth, the other to his arm. "Oh God, Flynn… when?"

"I found out before I came to get you. It wasn't much of a shock, actually. I mean…"

"God Flynn, I'm so sorry."

"I'm not." The words were bitter, but he wasn't about to take them back. He'd never be sorry that his father was dead. Not now, not ever.

"I don't understand."

Another deep sigh escaped him. "Maybe we'd better sit down."

He was grateful once again for the darkness and for the fact that they were alone for the most part. As usual, he was being ignored. He told her about his dad, but once he started talking he couldn't stop. And not once did she laugh or judge. When he was finished, he was emotional and spent, even shedding some tears. And it was then that he found himself in her arms, the recipient of a comforting hug. No girl had ever hugged him before, and he found it hard to let go. But feeling guilty once again, he drew back.

"How is your mom doing? This must be really hard on her."

He sighed deeply. "She's upset. She said she was going to have a memorial service for him. My Aunt Marie is angry about it… because of Uncle Hank, but I'm sure she's there as well. I told her that there is no way I'm going to that. I'd rather be here at the dance with you."

She was looking into his eyes now. "Flynn you should be there. No matter what you felt about your dad. Your mom and your aunt need you."

He looked around at the kids dancing in a line, having a great time. "But what about-."

"There will be other dances, Flynn. But this is your family."

If anyone else had asked him to go, he would have flatly refused. But this was Lindsay and he liked her… He really, really liked her. And so he nodded. "All right. But will you… come with me?"

She smiled at him and took his hand. "Of course I will."


	9. Chapter 9

The church was small, and not even really a church. It was more like an ordinary building. At first he hesitated, wondering if they were in the right place, but then he saw his mom's car parked out front. After helping Lindsay out of the car, he boldly took her hand and they walked inside. The place was eerily quiet, with no visible signs of life anywhere.

Ironic, since it seemed that the loss of life had haunted them, leaving emptiness that was all too visible.

When they opened the double doors and walked inside, Flynn could see the minister standing in front of his mom and Aunt Marie. The so-called minister looked more like a teenager, most likely the only person his mom could find to do the service. No other respected minister would give a memorial service for such a monster, and Flynn wouldn't blame them.

The walls were bare, with no pictures of Walter White Sr. to be found. And no one, absolutely no one was seated in the rows of chairs, except for his mom and Aunt Marie. Suddenly Flynn felt guilty, but he couldn't mourn a monster. He just couldn't. He wouldn't.

"Mom?"

The room fell silent and six pairs of wide eyes looked at him. Flynn said nothing more, and took his place beside his mom, with Lindsay sitting next to him while the minister continued the service. It was short, barely lasting fifteen minutes and lacking of any emotion at all. When the service ended, his mom stood waiting patiently for Flynn to stand using his braces.

"Why are you here?" She asked in a low and somewhat accusing voice.

"I'm not here for him if that's what you think." Flynn spat. "I didn't even want to come."

Lindsay's hand went to his arm. "Flynn..."

His mother crossed her arms in front of her body and frowned at him. "I thought you went to the dance."

"We did. And we were having a good time. But Lindsay thought I should be here with you and Aunt Marie. She said there would be other dances but you're my family. You and Aunt Marie."

His mother's eyes filled with tears and she hugged him tight. "That's right. We are your family and we love you very much. Thank you Flynn."  
Lindsay smiled and coughed lightly, breaking up Flynn's hug with his mom.

"You must be Lindsay." His mom said extending her hand. "I'm Skyler and this is Marie."

"Um… Mrs. White, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for your… For everything. I know this has been hard on Flynn, but I can't imagine what it's doing to you."

His mother brushed away tears and smiled. "Skyler, please... And thank you, Lindsay."

Lindsay then turned to Marie. "I'm sorry for your loss, Marie. Flynn told me… I swear I wasn't trying to pry. But he looked so upset and-."

Aunt Marie smiled. "It's all right. Thank you, Lindsay. Thank you for coming."

"Well, maybe I'll see you both again." Lindsay said.

"I'm sure you will. Goodbye, Lindsay."

Flynn stared at his mom for several moments, not knowing what to say. And suddenly he realized that he didn't need to say anything. A hug would speak volumes. Maybe it was his imagination but both his mom and his Aunt Marie hugged him a lot tighter that day.

Later that night, he stood on Lindsay's doorstep, wondering what to say to her. But as with his mom, he didn't have to say anything. She simply smiled sweetly… and kissed him. His first kiss! But he knew in his heart that it wouldn't be his last.

And as he walked back to his car he could almost see his Uncle Hank smiling at him, saying "I'm proud of you Flynn."

Flynn smiled to himself. He was pretty proud of himself too.

THE END


End file.
